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It’s not quite as dramatic as all that – we’re talking about just a T-shirt here, after all. Still, I can’t miss an opportunity to quote a classic.

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I picked out the T-shirt a few years ago while rummaging in those numerous tourist souvenir (kitsch) shops near the Louvre, and not only does it have some of my favourite landmarks from Paris on it, it also has some glitter sewn on it! Score. The scarf is an addition due to Hamburg’s typical weather forecast for today, namely, we don’t know, and I don’t want a sore neck due to a draft. The boots work well both in the autumn and during warmer seasons, and the heel is comfortable both for balance and walking longer distances in. They also go with almost any outfit. Jeans? Mais oui, bien sur, the classic combo with an individual twist.

It is indeed going to be hot, and you can count on me to come up with a quote from Les Poissons to title this post.

Hot weather means grabbing the chance to wear a maxi-length dress! Why maxi? Because I like that length and I have to go to work.

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I had strolled in to the shop and noticed this dress on a mannequin, but not anywhere nearby. After painstakingly searching two times to make sure, I approached a saleslady and asked where I might find it. Always ask a staff member if you see something in a window or on display that you like! In my experience they like the question and clearly you are also showing buyer’s commitment, which is, mais oui, to be encouraged. You may therefore be sure of a helpful attitude. For me personally a little exchange like that also gives me a minor sense of achievement when I locate the desired item afterwards. I’m an adult! I’m a customer! I’m an adult customer who can assert herself amid all this consumerism and knows exactly what she wants! Such empowerment, such confidence!

The pattern on the dress reminds me of a ripple of changing colors on the surface of a sea in summertime. The earrings not only pick up on the tones of the dress, but also make me think of the expansive beauty of the sea and sky surrounding the island of Themyscira in this year’s Wonder Woman.

We are promised two days of summer weather, and today is one of them. This means, based on the local forecast and years of experience in the city of Hamburg, that while I can wear a sleeveless T-shirt, layering and leggings, my trusty standbys, are not to be dismissed.

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While the lacy crimson shirt is not completely see-through, it still works better with a longer tank top underneath, and so far my favorite combo is with a black one. Since the top shirt is not completely red, there is no devil Halloween costume color scheme going on here – which I have, by the way, successfully tried out once, but ’tis not the season just yet. It’s still summer, whatever the weather forecast says.

The scarf has been featured before on this blog, a flea market find from years ago and one of my favorite scarves in my * cough * modest collection. It also doubles as a party accessory when I don’t feel like wearing a necklace, but want something extra, thanks to the glittering gold thread running through it.

The gold earrings are some of the most versatile I have, picking up perfectly on the aforementioned gold bit in the scarf, and the ring adds a shot of brighter green against the subtle hues mixed in the, again, scarf.

Leggings will complete this outfit, need to decide on the color, as well as the black (I like to think) ballet-inspired flats. The ribbons complement the feminine pattern and delicacy of the lace top, and being tipped with gold fastenings, they also round up the choice of jewelry.

There are two things I look forward to in the mornings, two simple pleasures: breakfast and putting on a favorite dress. This is one of those mornings – score!

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This dress has been one of my happiest buys to date – it’s long and comfortable, figure-hugging without being clingy and the jersey it’s made from is perfect for hot weather as well. There’s a length of string to knot around the waist however you like, and the sparkling beading across the chest lends a playful note to an intense color.

Teal works well with browns and golds, especially since this dress has embroidery on it exactly in those colors. The dangling earrings are some of my favorite as well, with the multi-colored sphere at the bottom livening up the long loop, and the rings both pick up on both the dress’ hue and go in line with the golds.

Well, just the one, but still an impressive one. It is scarf awareness day all over again.

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The trusty sleeveless black, but how to liven it up? Because I feel like a splash of bold color! And inevitably a scene from a 1993 adaptation of A Secret Garden, which I loved watching as a child, pops in to my head. Martha, a maid in the manor where Mary, the main heroine has come to live after the death of her parents, holds up several dresses for Mary’s choosing, and attempting to cheer up the young girl with some humor, she asks her which one she wants to wear, “Black, black or black?” “Are you blind?” Mary responds icily. “They’re all black.”

My black dress usually says, “Dude, where’s the rest?” Who am I to ignore signals. The scarf is a souvenir from my recent jaunt to a flea market in Kiel with a friend, and it was only upon spreading it out that I noticed the pattern of the Union Jack in the background. With flowers strewn across it, it’s less official and absolutely wearable.

The accessories pick up the blue and white in the scarf, since the red speaks for itself. I saw these dainty earrings a while ago and liked the tiny and charming detail of the silver leaf against the dark blue, while the ring with the flower was found by my mother during a relaxed afternoon browsing a market in Spain once. The shoes remind me of the 90s every time I look at them – perhaps it’s the combination of black velvety material and the heel style? Another comfortable pair I can log a lot of hours in.

It’s warm again! Which means tropical accents, bright colors and a dress. Yes, we do get surprised by summer weather during the summer in this city. Every time.

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A few years ago I was visiting the lovely city of Utrecht and, as you do, I was checking out their shops after a day of sightseeing. I stopped by H&M (I know, but they are different in every cities AND it was sale season). My eyes fell on this cheerful dress, and while I was initially sceptical if it would fit me, trying it on proved the opposite, so whenever I look at it, I’m reminded of this small, but deeply gratifying moment in my female life.

I’ve worn this particular set of accessories with it before, because it just works, and if it ain’t broke, why fix it, at least until I feel like trying something else. Anything picking up on the colors of the pattern will work well with this dress, and there are enough colors and their hues to choose from. The ring has a touch of the Disney villain(ess) about it for me, but they were important figures in those stories, so that’s fine.

I originally bought the shoes for changing in to for the evening’s activities (dancing) at a wedding after a day spent in heels. However, they went so well with many summer outfits that I didn’t restrict them to festive attire. They are also very comfortable and the laces give me that vague feeling (highly romanticized fantasy) of being connected to the world of ballet. Russian roots, soft spot, what you gonna do.

The dress just makes me think of summertime and relaxing in the garden of a country house or planning a picnic in said garden.

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It also reminds me of a lovely family trip to Amsterdam and doing a spot of shopping the afternoon before I left. Knee-length leggings are recommended as it’s slightly on the shorter side. The delicate earrings are a gift that I’ve had for at least ten years, and the shoes are suitable for a jaunt to the country, if it does happen.